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With all the wide variety of free and open source software out there, it can sometimes feel like an insurmountable challenge to download and try each and every one that interests you.

That's where a one-stop sampler can be especially useful.

A few weeks back I wrote about VALO-CD, which provides a nice assortment of open source apps for Windows. This week--while doing some last-minute holiday shopping on Amazon, in fact--I came across something similar for Linux.

Specifically, it's the Linux Diversity collection, and it serves up a smorgasbord of 10 Linux distributions in a single, 12-DVD set.

'Introduction to Linux'

It's no secret that Linux distributions exist for virtually every taste and purpose, each with distinct pros and cons. Rather than have to download and test them out one by one, PRIZIX's Linux Diversity collection gives you a way to get 10 of them in a single shot.

Included are the latest versions of numerous popular distros, including Ubuntu 12.10, Kubuntu 12.10, openSUSE 12.2, Fedora 17, Debian 6, CentOS 6, Mint 14, Gentoo 12, Mandriva 2011, and Slackware 14. Accompanying them, of course, are a complete set of open source applications for desktops, laptops, and servers.

Priced at $39.95 on both Amazon and the PRIZIX site, the Linux Diversity collection comes with complete DVD installations for both 32- and 64-bit PCs, and it includes free lifetime updates. It's available for Windows 7, Vista and XP; Mac OS X; and Linux.

One dish, multiple flavors

You don't necessarily have to be planning an outright switch to Linux, of course. Rather, simply having Linux on hand can be a good idea for online banking and other purposes, as I've noted before.

Similar in many ways to Get Linux, however, it can also help you zero in on what you like.

If you're thinking about taking Linux for a test drive, this could be a nice way to try multiple flavors in a single dish.

This story, "The 'Linux Diversity' collection: One kit, 10 Linux distros" was originally published by
PCWorld.

Katherine Noyes has been an ardent geek ever since she first conquered Pyramid of Doom on an ancient TRS-80. Today she covers enterprise software in all its forms, with an emphasis on Linux and open source software.